Endymion or The State of Entropy: A Lyrical Drama by Kurt R. Ward
Self-Published (July 2022)
88 pages; $21.99 hardcover
Reviewed by Joshua Gage
Kurt R. Ward has privately published numerous poems as well as a recording of his jazz compositions for solo piano. His newest collection of poetry is Endymion or The State of Entropy: A Lyrical Drama.
Endymion or The State of Entropy: A Lyrical Drama is a psychological exploration of one man’s self-actualization. The titular character, Endymion, has fallen asleep on the grave of Keats in Rome, and various mythic figures battle with him, struggling through arguments concerning reason, fear, hope, and other large, psychological concepts. Ward writes that he used various Jungian techniques to bridge the gap between the conscious and the unconscious mind, and the resulting internal epic battle became the text of Endymion or The State of Entropy.
This book is lusciously designed and illustrated. Readers will be in for a real treat reading this book. Rebecca Yanovskaya’s illustrations compliment the work perfectly and tap into deeper metaphors and symbols contained within the text. The design of the book is striking, too, between the red and the black texts and the classically organized pages, this reads very much like a lost tome by one of the Romantic poets to whom it is dedicated.
For folks intrigued by the idea of drama about Romantic poetry, dreams and nightmares, and cosmic battles fought for the consciousness of one man, Endymion or The State of Entropy: A Lyrical Drama will not disappoint. Ward has studied not just the poems, but also the various psychological tools and techniques necessary to create such a play, and it shows in his work. The book is even more of a delight with the rich art and sumptuous design brought to the text. Overall, this is a solid and striking text, and something that many readers will enjoy.
